Wide web feed for binder and wrapper die



Dec. 14, 1965 s. CLAUSEN WIDE WEB FEED FOR BINDER AND WRAPPER DIE 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 7, 1962 SIGURD CLAUSEN ATTORNEY Dec. 14, 1965 s. CLAUSEN WIDE WEB FEED FOR BINDER AND WRAPPER DIE 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 7, 1962 FIG.2

20 INVENTOR SIGURD CLAUSEN BYW ATTORNEY Dec. '14, 1965 s. CLAUSEN Filed June 7, 1962 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR SIGURD CLAUSEN- BY /W =42 ATTO RN EY Dec, 14, 1965 s. CLAUSEN WIDE WEB FEED FOR BINDER AND WRAPPER DIE 6 Sheets-Sheet 4.

Filed June 7, 1962 INVENTOR SIGURD CLAUSEN ATTORNEY Dec. 14, 1965 s, CLAUSEN 3,222,969

WIDE WEB FEED FOR BINDER AND WRAPPER DIE Filed June '7, 1962 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Hm f 40O 20 E i f? i 392 392 INVENTOR SI GURD CLAUSEN BY M 244 A'FI'ORNEY Dec. 14, 1965 s. CLAUSEN WIDE WEB FEED FOR BINDER AND WRAPPER DIE 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed June 7, 1962 FIG.9

INVENTOR SIGURD CLAUSEN BY M 4.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,222,969 WIDE WEB FEED FOR BLNDER AND WPER DIE Sigurd Clausen, Brooklyn, N.Y., assignor to American Machine 8: Foundry Company, a corporation of New Jersey Filed June 7, 1962, Ser. No. 200,768 4 Claims. (Cl. 83-152) This invention is an improved machine for use in feeding wide web tobacco material to a die for cutting cigar wrappers or cigar binders therefrom.

An object of the invention is an improvement in cigar manufacturing machines.

A particular object of the invention is the improvement of mechanisms used in feeding wide web tobacco material to cutting dies.

As is generally well known in the machine manufacture of cigars, a charge of tobacco is rolled into a cigar core of generally cylindrical form. To this core there is then applied a binder which, in machine made cigars, is generally of tobacco web material, which has previously been cut to a predetermined contour so that when applied to the core it envelopes it firmly and binds it into a relatively rigid structure. Thereafter, a wrapper is applied to this cylindrical structure to form a finished cigar. The wrapper may be of tobacco web material or alternatively of natural tobacco leaf. Tobacco web material and the process of making it are now well known in the art.

As is also generally well known, cigars are made in many shapes and in many sizes. When the binders or the wrappers are cut from tobacco web material, there arises the problem of using the Web material from which they are cut advantageously so that there will be a minimum of waste due to trimming to the contour of the die or other cutting mechanism.

For reasons of economy, therefore, in the cutting of binders or wrappers from tobacco web material, wide tobacco web is presently being introduced and the die is being oriented so that its narrow dimension is in alignment with the direction in which the web is fed to the die. Because of the many different lengths of cigars and the corresponding many different lengths of dies, there arises the problem of providing a sufficient number of different widths of webs for economic cutting by the dies. If it were not for the cost of manufacturing and the matter of storing the webs, a web of an optimum width for each die of different length would be the obvious solution of the problem. However, it is not economically feasible to provide a web of optimum width for each die of different length.

The present invention proposes a means whereby it is possible to cut wide tobacco web into sections of optimum length and width for subsequent cutting by cigar binder dies or cigar wrapper dies of differing shapes. It is thus possible to greatly reduce the number of webs in differing widths which are required to be manufactured and stored to afford a section of optimum shape and the greatest economy in web material.

A feature of the present invention is an arrangement whereby the tobacco web material is first cut into an approximately optimum individual parallelogram shaped section for each die severing. Instead of being severed at right-angles to the direction in which the web is fed to the die, the section may be severed at right-angles or at any desired angle throughout a range. In order to ice achieve this, a section of the web feed mechanism, carrying a knife and a coacting ledger, is arranged so that it is angularly displacable in the path of the Wide web as it is being fed rectilinearly in the machine.

The mechanism of the present invention comprises a reel carrying a wide web of reconstituted tobacco material, and a web feed, for transporting the web rectilinearly in the machine. The Web feed comprises a single suction feed roller and a slidable web feed suction head, both actuated intermittently. The mechanism comprises also a suction table carrying a knife and a ledger. The table, with its knife and ledger, are angularly adjustable in the rectilinear path in which the web is fed. The length of the web drawn off the reel is also adjustable. This mechanism cooperatively produces tobacco pieces shaped selectively like rectangles or parallelograms with sides of desired lengths through a range. The machine is provided also with a suction head transfer mechanism which transports the severed piece to a die in a fixed position in the machine. In operation, the leading end of the tobacco web is first transported to a position beyond the knife and ledger, for a predetermined distance correlated to the width of the tobacco die. In this position the web end overlies the transfer suction head. The web end is next severed from the web. The severed section is then transported by the transfer suction head to a position overlying the die. The suction head, which transfers the severed tobacco piece to the die, is angularly adjustable, to conform to the angular adjustment of the knife and the suction table on'which the knife is mounted. During transfer, the position of the transfer head is selectively adjusted so that it is always in alignment with the die when the piece is delivered thereto.

Due to the angular displaceability of the travelling head, which carries the knife and its coacting underlying table, carrying the ledger, it is possible to sever a section of web material of any desired dimension, as measured transversely of the web, incident to the width of the web which is mounted in the machine at the time, to provide a section having substantially optimum length for the die which is being employed. The width of the section of tobacco, that is its dimension as measured in the direction in which the web is fed, is adjustable by means of a mechanism which varies the length of feed. It is, therefore, possible to provide a number of sections of tobacco web, each of optimum length and width, to serve each of a number of dies of different sizes, from a web of a predetermined fixed width. Since each web of differing width will provide sections of substantially optimum shape for a number of dies, it is possible to greatly minimize the number of webs of tobacco material of differing widths which are required to be stored.

A feature of the invention is a travelling head which is angularly adjustable in the path of a web.

Another feature is a transfer suction head in a machine, which machine has a selectively angularly displaceable knife disposed in the path of a wide tobacco web, which web is always fed rectilinearly, which suction head is controlled during the transfer operation so that it always delivers a piece, severed from the web at any angle, to the same fixed position overlying a die.

Another feature of the invention is an angularly displaceable suction head table carrying a knife and a coacting ledger, disposed in the path of a web which is constantly fed rectilinearly in a machine.

These and other features will become apparent from a consideration of the following description when taken together with the associated drawings which show a preferred embodiment in which the invention is presently incorporated. It is to be understood, however, that the invention may be practiced in other ways which will be readily suggested to those skilled in the art by the present disclosure.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a partial front elevation of the machine of the invention, partly in section;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, taken from the right in FIG. 1;

FIG. 2A is a view taken on line 2A2A of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial side elevation, partly in section to an enlarged scale, taken from the right in FIG. '1;

FIG. 4 is a vertical section taken through line 44 of FIG. 1'

FIG: 5 is a partial vertical section of a portion of FIG. 1 showing the web feed drum;

FIG. 6 is a bottom view, partly in section, showing the knife and its activating mechanism;

FIG. 7 is a front elevation of a portion of FIG. 1, partly broken away, showing the rotatable suction head in its normal unrotated positions and the knife mechanisms secured thereto;

FIG. 8 is a partial front elevation showing the web feed slidable suction head, the mechanism which permits the slidable suction head to be adjusted in position through a limited are, the half-cylindrical suction head table and the transfer suction head; and

:FIG. 9 is a view generally corresponding to that in FIG. 7, showing the elements therein rotated to their extreme counter-clockwise position.

Refer now to FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4. The feed mechanism comprise a frame of a cigar manufacturing machine of which the web feed machine of the present invention forms a part.

Mounted at the top of the machine, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, is a reel of reconstituted tobacco web 30. The reel is provided with braking mechanism, to prevent overfeeding as the web is drawn off the reel, which consists of a brake band 32 secured at one end to a stud 34, mounted on an arm 36, forming part of the frame of the machine. At the other end of the brake band, a weight 38 is enclosed in a loop of the brake band 32. The tobacco web is drawn oif the reel and passed under a tensioning roller 40 secured on the end of an arm 42, which, as shown in FIG. 3, is rotatably mounted to the frame 20 by means of a stud 44. The web 30 passes up and over the suction feed drum 46. Adjacent the feed drum 46, as seen best in FIGS. 1 and 4, is a fixed suction head 48 which is arranged so that its upper edge closely conforms to the periphery of suction head 46 and its bottom edge is a section of a cylindrical surface which closely conforms with a portion of the cylindrical surface of the angularly adjustable suction head table 50. Suction head table 50 carries a ledger 148, which cooperates with the knife 52 in severing the web, in a manner to be explained in detail hereinafter.

The interior of drum 46 is connected to a source of suction, not shown, at all times, through hollow tubes 56 and 57. Fixed suction head 48 and angularly adjustable suction head 50 are arranged to be connected to a source of suction through tubes 84 and 82, air valve boX 60, and tubes 58 and 57, under control of valve 62 at proper times, in a manner to be described hereinafter. To anticipate and to describe the operation, in part, first in general terms, before proceeding with the detailed description, as shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 9, a slidable suction head 108, overlies angularly adjustable suction head 50. At proper times suction is transferred from suction heads 48 and 50 to suction head 108 to shift the leading end of the web to suction head 108. The head 108 is then actuated to slide on bars 90 and 92 to move the leading end of the web from a position adjacent ledger 148 to a position overlying transfer suction head 120.

Suction is then transferred from suction head 108 to transfer suction head 120 to transfer the Web from one to the other. The leading end of the web 30 is then severed by knife 52. Suction remains on transfer head 120 while the web is transferred to a position over die 241. Then suction is cut off from transfer head 120 and applied to die 241 while the severed web end is transferred thereto.

To return to the detailed description of the invention, on the front of the web feed machine, as shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and 8, there is mounted a vertically reciprocable T-shaped slide comprising a horizontal plate 88 and a vertical central plate 89. The slide is mounted on two vertical shafts 90 and 92, one on each side of the machine. Shaft 90 is secured in horizontal arms 94 and 96 which project from the front surface of the left-hand vertical upright of the machine and shaft 92 is similarly secured in two horizontal arms 98 and 100 which project from the right-hand vertical upright of the machine.

The sliding suction head carriage 108 is mounted to the vertical depending plate 89 of the slide by means of two bolts 110 and 112 which project through apertures in plate 89. As shown in FIG. 4, suction head 108 is provided with an elongated arcuate boss 114 on the interior of its front surface. Boss 114 has a central arcuate cavity to receive the heads, such as 116, of bolts 110 and 112. Bolts 110 and 112 may be loosened and web carriage suction head 108 may be rotated to any desired position within the range of the elongated slot 116 in the boss 114. The bolts may then be tightened to afliX the suction head 108 in position. The rotatable suction head 50, to which the ledger 148 is affixed, has an upper surface which is half-cylindrical where it abuts the lower arcuate surface of suction head 48. The lower surface of suction head 58 is substantially a plane surface where it is aligned with transfer suction head 120. The suction head 50 is secured to the frame 20, as seen best in FIG. 4, by means of bolts such as 122. The rear wall of suction head 50, as seen in FIGS. 4 and 7, is provided with an arcuate channel. The heads of bolts, such as 122, are secured in this channel and they provide means about which suction head 50 may be rotated and locked in any desired position by means of nuts, such as nut 121.

As shown in FIG. 6, knife 52 is backed by a plate to which it is secured by two bolts 132 and 134. Plate 130 is provided with sleeves 136 and 138 which are slidablysecured in shafts 140 and 142 which project through bearmgs 144 and 146 which are secured to the suction head 50. A ledger plate 148 is secured to the lower horizontal surface of suction head 50. Knife 52, coacts with ledger 148 in severing a leading portion of the web from the web.

Fixedly mounted on shafts 140 and 142 are collars 141 and 143, respectively, carrying projections to which links and 147, respectively, are fastened. Links 145 and 147 connect to arms 150 and 152, respectively. Arms 150 and 152 are secured to the opposite ends of shaft 154. Shaft 154 is rotatably mounted in bearings 153 and 155 in brackets integral with suction head 50. Bevel gear 156 is locked to the middle portion of shaft 154. Bevel gear 156 coacts with bevel gear 158 which is mounted on rotatable stud 160 which is supported in hearings in bearing bracket 162 which is integral with frame 20. Arms 172 and 174 project from brackets, such as 170, which are integral with suction head 50. Arms 172 and 174 cooperate to support another bearing 176 for shaft 160. A hub 182 is secured to stud 160. Crank is integral with hub 182. Crank 180 connects through link 184 to a cam lever 186, FIG. 3, which is rotatably mounted on a bracket 188 forming part of the frame 20. Cam lever 186 is provided with a follower 189 which engages the periphery of cam 190 mounted on shaft 76. Shaft 76 is driven through sprocket 78 and chain 80, FIG. 1, from a power source, not shown, rotating cam 190, FIG. 3. When cam 190 is rotated, it actuates follower 189 and rotates cam lever 186 in a limited arc about stud 187. Link 184 is reciprocated vertically, in turn, actuating crank 180, hub 182, shaft 160, bevel gears 158 and 156, oscillating shaft 154, FIG. 6, arms 150 and 152 and reciprocating shafts 140 and 142. This, in turn, actuates plate 130 and knife 52, which shears the leading end oif web 30, as knife 52 coacts with ledger plate 148.

As shaft 76, FIG. 3, is rotated, roller 200 engages the periphery of cam 202 rocking cam lever 204 about stud 187. This reciprocates shaft 206 which is connected at its upper end to an elongated slot in lever 208. Lever 208 is rotatably mounted on a stud 210 secured by a bracket to frame 20. The left-hand end of lever 208, as seen in FIG. 3, is provided with an elongated slot 212 which receives stud 213 which is integral with horizontal bar 88 which forms part of the mechanism which reciprocates the travelling carriage 108 which transports the web.

The reciprocating carriage suction head 108 is connected by means of an air hose 220 to the air valve box 60. When valve 62 is actuated, into one of its two alternative positions, suction is applied through air hoses 82 and 84 to suction heads 48 and 50. Simultaneously, suction is cut off through air hose 220 from travelling suction head 108. When the valve 62 is in its alternate position, suction is supplied to air hose 220 and cut off from air hoses 82 and 84. This effects the transfer of suction from suction heads 48 to 50 to travelling suction head 108, so that the web may be transferred to the travelling head 108 and then moved downwardly, as seen in FIG. 1, over the transfer head 120. Then suction is disconnected from the travelling head 108 and applied simultaneously to suction heads 48, 50 and 120 while the cutting operation is performed. At the end of the cutting operation, when the knife 52 is retracted to its original position, a severed section of the web is clasped by suction to the surface of transfer suction head 120. The leading end of the unsevered portion of the web is clasped by suction to the surface of rotatable suction head 50 and head 48. It is necessary then to restore the travelling suction head 108 to its original starting position, which is the uppermost position, as seen in FIG. 3. Simultaneously, the transfer suction head 120 must be actuated to transfer the severed portion of the web to the top surface of a die, such as die 241, as shown in the bottom left-hand portion of FIG. 2.

The manner of operation of the mechanism, which transfers the severed section of web from web feed machine to the cutting die, will now be described with reference particularly to FIGS. 1 and 3. Mounted on the shaft 76, is a cam 230 coacting with which is a follower 232 mounted on a lever 234 which is rotatably mounted on a shaft 236 which is secured in a bracket 238 integral with the main frame of the machine. The lower portion 239 of lever- 234 is provided with a gear segment 240 which engages with gear 242 mounted on shaft 244 which is secured in bearings mounted to the main frame 20 of the machine. Locked to shaft 244 is a crank 250, the upper end of which, as shown in FIG. 3, is provided with an elongated slot 252. A rod 254 is adjustably connected at its right-hand end in slot 252 and its left-hand end is connected through stud 256 to arm 258 which is integral with hollow hub 260. Hollow hub 260 is rotatably mounted on the fixed hollow sleeve 262. Integral with hollow hub 260 is a bent hollow tube 264'which at its upper end is affixed to and communicates internally with transfer head 120. Tube 264 is provided with a rear cover 265. When chain 80 is driven from the power source, rotating sprocket 78 and shaft 76, cam 230 is rotated actuating its follower 232, FIG. 3, rotating cam lever 234 about stud 236 and actuating the lower portion 239 of lever 234 and its attached gear segment 240. This rotates gear 242 on shaft 244 rotating arm 250 which reciprocates rod 254 horizontally. Rod 254, in turn,

through st-ud 256, rotates arm 258 and hollow tube 260 about hollow shaft 262. The rotation of hollow tube 260 rotates bent hollow tube 264 and the transfer suction head aflixed thereto about hollow tube 262 as an axis and until it overlies die 241 as shown in FIG. 2. The binder or wrapper is cut by die 241 in a manner Well known in the art being described for instance in Patent 1,188,541 granted to Victor G. Hanson, June 27, 1916, Patent 1,252,932, granted to I. E. Norquist, January 8, 1918, and in Patent 1,888,788 granted to me, November 22, 1932.

As shown in FIG. 1, the left-hand end of holIow shaft 262 is internally threaded and a threaded plug 280 is inserted therein to prevent escape of suction. A port 284 communicates between hollow shaft and bent hollow tube 264.

For a reason which will be made clear hereinafter, hollow shaft 262 terminates at its left-hand end, as seen in FIG. 1, in a collar 286 and, as shown in FIG. 2A, a yoke 290 is affixed to collar 286 by three screws such as 292. Clamped between arms 294 and 296 of the yoke 290 is a square block 300 integral with which is a short stud 302 mounted on which is an adjustable rod 304. The two arms 294 and 296 of the yoke 290 may be forced, one toward the other, by screw 298 which passes through a boring in the upper arm 294 and engages with an internal thread in lower arm 296. The position of block 300 carrying stud 302 may be adjusted by loosening screw 298 and sliding block 300 between arms 294 and 296. When block 300 and stud 302 are in axial alignment with hollow shaft 262, FIG. 1, rod 304 remains in a fixed position. As block 300 and stud 302 are moved progressively toward the left, as seen in FIG. 2A, the displacement of block 300, stud 302 and rod 304 becomes greater. The upper end of rod 304, as seen in FIGS. 2, 3, 8 and 9, is connected, in turn, by means of a stud 306, an arm 312 and set screw 314 to stud 310. As shown in FIG. 4, transfer suction head 120 is pinned to shaft 310 by pin 311. Element 320 is part of arm 264 and provides a bearing for shaft 310.

When suction head 50 is rotated, as heretofore explained, it is necessary to rotate transfer head 120 so that these two suction heads maintain proper registry. Suction head 120 is rotatable with stud 310 and is fixed to arm 312 by set screw 314. As shown in dotted lines near the bottom of FIG. 2, when the severed portion of the reconstituted tobacco material is carried by suction head 120 to a position overlying die 241, when the transfer mechanism is rotated in the manner described, it is necessary that the severed piece of tobacco material be in proper position with respect to the position of the die. Whereas the position of the suction head 120, that is the; angle through which it may be rotated about shaft 310 as a center, is variable depending upon the length of the severed piece required to be cut from the web to serve the die being used at a particular time, the position of the die 241 must remain fixed. It is necessary, therefore, to rotate suction head 120 to one fixed position, overlying die 241, while the severed tobacco piece is being transferred to the die and it is necessary to return suction head 120 to its proper position adjacent knife 52 while the transfer mechanism is returning to its normal position when idle. Since the angle through which suction head 120 is required to be turned varies for cut pieces of differing lengths, the mechanism which performs the rotation must be adjustable to correspond. The yoke 290 carrying block 300 and stud 302, together wit-h adjustable rod 304 which connects through stud 306 and arm 312 .to stud 310, perform these functions.

Refer now to FIG. 8 which shows suction head 50 and transfer suction head 120 both in normal positions, that is to say neither one is rotated, and knife 52 is horizontal. When transfer head 120 is in this position, it is not necessary to rotate it while it is transferring .a severed portion of web or returning to normal thereafter. In

7 order to do this, rod 304 must not be displaced by yoke 290. This is achieved by disposing block 300 and stud 302 so that they are in axial alignment with hollow shaft 262.

FIG. 9 shows suction head 50 and suction head 120 rotated to their maximum counter-clockwise positions. When transfer suction head 120 is rotated to sever the longest strip of tobacco material from the web 30 of which the present mechanism is capable from this position, it is necessary for rod 304 to be displaced a maximum distance. As should be understandable from the previous description, this is performed by loosening screw 298, (as seen in FIG. 2A, and moving block 300 with stud 302 far to the left between arms 294 and 296. Then, as hollow tube arm 264 rotates, rod 304 will rock on stud 302 as a center, actuating arm 312 and rotating shaft 310 and suction head 120 clockwise so that when transfer suction head 120 overlies die 241, .as seen in FIG. 2, suction head 120 and die 241 will be in proper alignment. When the transfer mechanism is returning to normal, the reverse operation takes place and suction head 120 is rotated into its position, as seen in FIG. 9. As mentioned heretofore, the various elements involved in the transfer operation may be adjusted to any angle between the horizontal and the extreme counter-clockwise positions to present the severed tobacco material in proper alignment with the die 241.

Another feature of the present mechanism which remains to be described is web feed drum 46 and its associated controls. Refer now to FIGS. 1 and 2.

Secured to the left-hand end of shaft 76 is a disc 360 having a notch 362 therein, secured in which is a pin 364 which is attached to the lower end of a vertical rod 366, the upper end of which is connected by means of a stud 368 to a rockable arm 370. Arm 370 is provided at its left-hand end, FIG. 2, with a hub 372 mounted on a stud 373 secured in a bracket 374 projecting from frame 20. A gear segment 376 is connected by means of arm 378 to hub 372. Gear segment 376 meshes with gear 380. As seen in FIGS. 1 and 5, gear 380 is provided with a hub 382 which is attached to the free end of a one-way clutch 386. The other end of the clutch is attached to the sleeve 384. As shaft 76 and disc 360 rotate, rod 366 reoiprocates vertically, rocking arms 370 and 378and gear segment 376. This, in turn, drive-s gear 380 clockwise and counterclockwise, as seen in FIG. 2. Intermittent counter-clockwise rotation only is imparted by gear 380 through clutch 386 to drum 46, as seen in FIG. 2, as gear 380 is actuated. At its left-hand end drum 46 is pinned to hollow shaft 384, and at its right-hand end is pinned to hollow shaft 54. Another hollow shaft 392 is fixed to the right-hand vertical end of frame and projects through hollow shaft 54, passing through roll-feed suction head 46, and through a shoe 394 in suction head 46, and continuing through hollow sleeve 334. The air hose 56 is connected to the right-hand end of hollow shaft 392. Hollow shaft 392 is provided with air outlets 3%. As shown in FIG. 4, the hollow suction head web feed drum 46 is provided with perforations, such as 400, over its entire cylindrical surface. These perforations are not effective when they are covered by the partial cylindrical surface 398 of shoe 394. This prevents suction from being applied to web except, as seen in FIG. 4, on that portion of drum 46 which web 30 normally engages in running from tension roller 40, FIG. 2, over the upper portion of the upper right-hand quadrant and over the entire upper left-hand quadrant of the web feed drum.

There also remains to be described the manner in which the valves are operated to control the supply suction through the air-ducts. This is shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.

When chain 80 is driven from the power source, not shown, sprocket 78 is rotated, rotating shaft 76 to which it is affi'xed. This rotates sprocket 74 atfixed to shaft 76, driving chain 72, rotating sprocket 70 and shaft 68 to which sprocket 70 is pinned. Cam 64 and cam 410 are integral with shaft 68, rotating with it, and activating their respective followers 65 and 412. Follower 65 is carried by the lower arm 66, FIG. 3, of a bell crank having a hub mounted on a shaft 244 and an arm 67 secured by a stud to the lower end of valve slide 62. The valve slide is re-ciprocated as the bell crank is rocked. In one posit-ion of valve 62, as mentioned, suction is applied through air ducts 82 and 84 to suction heads 50 and 48 and cut off from travelling suction head 108. In the alternate position, suction is cut off from suction heads 50 and 48 and applied to suction head 108. It should be apparent that this alternate transfer from one to the other is necessary because when the web is to be carried by the carriage, suction must be applied to the carriage and removed from suction heads 50 and 48. And when the web to be transferred from the carriage to the underlying suction heads, suction must be cut off from the carriage 108 and applied to heads 50 and 48.

' Follower 412, FIG. 3, is mounted on the lower arm 420 of another bell crank having a hub rotatable on shaft 244 and an upper arm 422 secured by a stud to another valve plate 424. When following 412 is actuated, bell crank arms 420 and 422 are rocked on shaft 244, reciprocating valve plate 242. This alternately supplies suction and cuts it oil. from air duct 428 which connects through hollow shaft 262, port 284, and bent hollow arm 264 to transfer suction head 120. It is necessary to provide this individal control for transfer suction head as its cycle of operation during which suction must be applied and withdrawn from head 120 differs from that of the other suction head. The valve cams and their followers are arranged and coordinated with the operation of the other elements so that the various operations are synchronized and continuous.

It should be understood, by those skilled in the art, that each of the suction heads is provided with apertures communicating between its hollow interior and its suction surfaces.

Refer now to FIG. 3. It should be apparent from the foregoing that the lengths of web taken on the reel to serve the various dies employed at different times is required to be varied incident to the narrow dimension of the die which is used. Provision for this is made by the elongated slots in levers 204 and 208. The position of rod 206 may be adjusted in elements 204 and 208 to control the length through which travelling suction head 108 is actuable.

What is claimed:

1. A cigar manufacturing machine, said machine comprising the following mounted in substantially vertical array from the top downward in named order in said machine, a reel, means in said reel for carrying a web of reconstituted tobacco, a rotatable web feed suction drum arranged to feed said web in a direction substantially vertically downwardly and rectilinearly from said reel, a first fixed suction head, a second angularly adjustable suction head carrying a linear cutting means at a first cutting station, means for rotating said second suction head so that said linear cutting means may be disposed either transversely or angularly with respect to the direction of feed of said web, a transfer and a die, a vertically reciprocable suction carriage disposed in front of and near the top of said machine, means for actuating said web feed suction drum to feed said leading end of said web from said reel to a position overlying said first fixed suction head, means for thereafter actuating said suction carriage to convey said leading end to a position beyond said cutting station and overlying said transfer, means responsiveto said conveying for actuating said cutting means to sever said leading end beyond said cutting station from said web, means responsive to said severing for rotating said transfer to transfer said severing end to said die.

2. A cigar manufacturing machine in accordance with claim 1, in which said first fixed suction head and said second angularly adjustable suction head each have adjacent edges in the form of partial cylindrical surfaces.

3. A cigar manufacturing machine in accordance with claim 1, in which said transfer has a third suction head, and means for angularly adjusting said third suction head to conform to any angle through which said second suction head is adjusted.

4. A cigar manufacturing machine in accordance with claim 3, in which said die is always mounted in a position in which its long dimension is at right-angles to said direction of feed, and in which said third suction head has control means for always delivering said severed end to said position, whatever the angle to which said third suction head has been adjusted.

WILLIAM ANDREW References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS 3/1959 Italy.

W. DYER, JR., Primary Examiner. R. JUHASZ, Examiner. 

1. A CIGAR MANUFACTURING MACHINE, SAID MACHINE COMPRISING THE FOLLOWING MOUNTED IN SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL ARRAY FROM THE TOP DOWNWARD IN NAMED ORDER IN SAID MACHINE, A REEL, MEANS IN SAID REEL FOR CARRYING A WEB OF RECONSTITUTED TOBACCO, A ROTATABLE WEB FEED SUCTION DRUM ARRANGED TO FEED SAID WEB IN A DIRECTION SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY DOWNWARDLY AND RECTILINEARLY FROM SAID REEL, A FIRST FIXED SUCTION HEAD, A SECOND ANGULARLY ADJUSTABLE SUCTION HEAD CARRYING A LINEAR CUTTING MEANS AT A FIRST CUTTING STATION, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID SECOND SUCTION HEAD SO THAT SAID LINEAR CUTTING MEANS MAY BE DISPOSED EITHER TRANSVERSELY OF ANGULARLY WITH RESPECT TO THE DIRECTION OF FEED OF SAID WEB, A TRANSFER AND A DIE, 